The Books:

 Vampires vs. Werewolves – Terry Pratchett: Feet of Clay (Discworld #19)

Part of the Night Watch subseries and officially now one of my favorite non-Witches Pratchett novels.  And I also have a new favorite non-Witches Discworld character: the Night Watch's resident female werewolf Constable Angua, who seriously kicks a$$ (or, um, prods bottom, as Sam Vimes would have it).

 

The members of the Watch have their hands full: An old priest and the caretaker of the Dwarf Bread Museum have been killed, and as if that weren't enough, someone is slowly poisoning Lord Vetinari.  While it falls to Commander (Sir) Sam Vimes to take the matter of Vetinari's health in hand personally (assisted by Sergeant Detritus (troll)), Captain Carrot (human) and his sort-of-love-interest, Constable Angua (werewolf) go after the killers of the priest and of the museum caretaker, assisted by Night Watch oldtimers Fred Colon and and Nobby Nobbs (humans), as well as newcomer / forensic scienalchemist Cheery Littlebottom (dwarf).  Meanwhile, Sam Vimes is persuaded to make an appointment at the Ankh Morpork Royal College of Heralds, to see its chief herald – the Dragon King of Arms, who is in fact a vampire – about the possibility of a Vimes coat of arms (the city's latest fashion, which has (literally) extended to the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker); and much fun is poked at the conventions of the mystery novel, particular the golden age variety in the style of Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie. – The titular feet of clay are those of the city's golems, who play a pivotal role in the events and who, horror of horrors, seem to have begun to think for themselves.

 

I originally turned to Pratchett because (other than his books reliably being a hoot or two) straightforward paranormal stuff just isn't my thing and, with the Night Watch being a mixed bunch of pretty much all sorts of creatures that Discworld has on offer, this seemed the most likely subseries where to encounter both a werewolf and a vampire in some sort of prominent role in the same book (I picked this before MM and OBD had clarified that either of the two would actually be enough for a book to qualify for the "Vampires vs. Werewolves" square).  Going in, I only knew that this would fit the requirements because one of the protagonists is a female werewolf and vampires feature in some fashion in the narrative (I checked by way of a keyword search using Amazon's sneak peek feature), but as it turns out

my selection was actually completely on point, because Angua (the werewolf) is a key member of team Watch (i.e., team "good"), whereas it becomes clear fairly early on that the Dragon King of Arms (the vampire) is the chief conspirator (i.e., the leader of team "bad"), even though the other members, as well as the aims and nature of the conspiracy are only revealed bit by bit.

(spoiler show)

 

Supernatural – Arthur Conan Doyle: The Sussex Vampire

 Sherlock Holmes receives an urgent request for help and advice from a former acquaintance of Dr. Watson's, who, having recently returned from an extended business-related stay in Peru (from where he has also imported his new wife) has recently been shocked into believing he has married a vampire, upon finding his wife sucking the neck of their newborn son – with a pinprick mark on the baby's neck and traces of fresh blood on his wife's lips providing seemingly undeniable evidence as to the lady's actions.  Sherlock Holmes, of course, derides the belief in vampires as "pure lunacy," insists that "[t]his agency stands flat-footed upon the ground, and there it must remain.  The world is big enough for us. No ghosts need apply" – and proceeds too demonstate, applying his trademark reasoning, that there is a perfectly logical (though rather tragic) explanation for the things that his client has witnessed.

 

 

Classic Horror – E.T.A. Hoffmann: Der Sandmann (The Sandman)

The first of three Tales of Hoffmann that were (partially) used in the libretto of Jacques Offenbach's opera of that name; one of the works that cemented Hoffmann's rank among the progenitors of the horror genre and also one of the (pseudo-)scientific narratives that, over 100 years later, would inspire the steampunk genre:

 

The story of a student named Nathanael who, having seen his childhood and his family terrorized by a sinister attorney named Coppelius (the eponymous "Sandman"), years later believes that he has recognized as the self-same man a creepy barometer and eyeglass salesman named Coppola, who haunts his steps in the city where he has gone to study chemistry with a certain professor Spalanzani.  While at university, Nathanael falls in love with an enchanting, albeit a bit doll-like creature that professor Spalanzani one evening introduces into polite society as his daughter Olimpia.  Accidentally learning the truth about his presumed fiancée and two more sinister encounters with Coppola, however, eventually prove too much for Nathanael's nerves and drive him into insanity.

 

Jacques Offenbach: Les contes d'Hoffmann (The Tales of Hoffmann) – framework narrative and Olimpia episode (Bonn Opera, spring 2015)

 

 

Pumpkin – Washington Irving: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

The classic Halloween (and pumpkin) story ... need I say anything about it at all?!  This was a reread (albeit a bit unseasonable, in what has already officially been declared the warmest September of record hereabouts), and just as enjoyable as ever!  Poor Ichabold Crane ...

 

 

 

Set on Halloween – Agatha Christie: Hallowe'en Party

One of Christie's final Poirot novels, and one of the few books that stand out favorably among her final books overall.  There is the odd passage here and there where Christie reveals that she really was not – nor did she seem to want to be – in touch with the England of the 1960s, but the mystery itself is finely-crafted and holds up well; even if Christie in part revisits familiar ground (but then, she frequently did that).

 

Poirot is summonned to a village some 40 miles from London (in Miss Marple territory, it would seem in fact) by his friend, crime novelist (and Agatha Christie stand-in) Ariadne Oliver, after a young girl has been found murdered at a Halloween party that Miss Oliver happens to have attended.  The dead girl, during the preparations for the party, had proclaimed that she had once witnessed a murder – and though everybody is quick to declare her to have been a braggart and a liar who was probably just trying to impress the celebrity novelist in attendance, Poirot is reluctant to agree with that judgment, arguing that someone obviously took her words at face value and chose to kill her rather than running the risk of discovery.

 

 

 

 

Finished Update 7:

 
Vampires vs. Werewolves – Terry Pratchett: Feet of Clay (Night Watch novel)

 

 

Currently Reading:

  
Magical Realism – Isabel Allende: La casa de los espíritus (The House of the Spirits)
Black Cat – Frances & Richard Lockridge: The Norths Meet Murder
It Was a Dark and Stormy Night – Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None

 

 

Currently Reading and Listening to:

  
Witches – Terry Pratchett / Neil Gaiman: Good Omens

 

 

Finished – Update 1:

 

Creepy Crawlies – Arthur Conan Doyle: The Adventure of the Speckled Band
Supernatural – Arthur Conan Doyle: The Sussex Vampire
Set in New England – Shirley Jackson: The Lottery

 

 

Finished – Update 2:

Ghost Stories and Haunted Houses – Henry James: The Turn of the Screw
Read by Candlelight or Flashlight – E.T.A. Hoffmann: Das Fräulein von Scuderi (Mademoiselle de Scuderi) (read by flashlight, in bed)

 

 

Finished – Update 3:

 
 
Young adult horror – Oscar Wilde: The Canterville Ghost
Pumpkin – Washington Irving: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

 

 

Finished – Update 4:

Free Space – Dashiell Hammett: The Dain Curse
Set on Halloween – Agatha Christie: Hallowe'en Party

 

 

Finished – Update 5:

  

Scary Women (Authors) – Daphne Du Maurier: Jamaica Inn
Classic Horror – E.T.A. Hoffmann: Der Sandmann (The Sandman)

 

 

Finished – Update 6:

Locked Room Mystery – Gaston Leroux: Le mystère de la chambre jaune (The Mystery of the Yellow Room)

 

 

TA's Reading List:

Read by Candlelight or Flashlight – E.T.A. Hoffmann: Das Fräulein von Scuderi (Mademoiselle de Scuderi) (novella)

Magical Realism – Isabel Allende: La casa de los espíritus (The House of the Spirits) (novel)

Witches – Terry Pratchett: Wyrd Sisters (or possibly Terry Pratchett / Neil Gaiman: Good Omens (novel)

Genre: Horror – Edgar Allan Poe: The System of Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether (short story); alternately E.A. Poe: The Tell-Tale Heart or The Masque of the Red Death (also short stories)

Black Cat – Ngaio Marsh: Black as He's Painted (novel) (black cat central to the story and therefore also black cat on the cover of the stand-alone paperback edition) change of plan: Frances & Richard Lockridge: The Norths Meet Murder (novel)

Diverse Authors Can Be Spooky Fun – Possibly Edwidge Danticat (ed.): Haiti Noir (short story anthology); otherwise TBD

Ghost Stories and Haunted Houses – Henry James: The Turn of the Screw (novella)

Young adult horror – Oscar Wilde: The Canterville Ghost (novella)

Scary Women (Authors) – Daphne Du Maurier: Jamaica Inn (novel)

Reads with BookLikes Friends – Arthur Conan Doyle: The Hound of the Baskervilles (novel)

Grave or Graveyard – Edgar Allan Poe: The Cask of Amontillado (short story); alternately Ngaio Marsh: Grave Mistake (novel) or Umberto Eco: The Prague Cemetery

Genre: Mystery – Peter May: The Blackhouse (novel)

Free Space – Dashiell Hammett: The Dain Curse

Gothic – Horrace Walpole: The Castle of Otranto (novel)

Creepy Crawlies – Arthur Conan Doyle: The Adventure of the Speckled Band (short story)

"Fall" into a Good Book – Edgar Allan Poe: The Fall of the House of Usher (short story)

Locked Room Mystery – Gaston Leroux: Le mystère de la chambre jaune (The Mystery of the Yellow Room) (novel)

It Was a Dark and Stormy Night – Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None (novel)

Set in New England – Shirley Jackson: The Lottery (short story)

Full Moon – James D. Doss: White Shell Woman (novel) (full moon on the cover, and the protagonist / investigator is called Charlie Moon); alternately Dennis Lehane: Moonlight Mile

Vampires vs. Werewolves – Terry Pratchett: Feet of Clay (Night Watch novel)

Supernatural – Arthur Conan Doyle: The Sussex Vampire (short story)

Classic Horror – E.T.A. Hoffmann: Der Sandmann (The Sandman) (short story)

Pumpkin – Washington Irving: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (short story)

Set on Halloween – Agatha Christie: Hallowe'en Party (novel)

I liked that fact that the main character was a BBW, however, I would have liked for Frankie to be more self-confident. It seems that she was always down on herself about something involving her looks. Who cares what society says you should look like? I also liked the fact that whatever their "Thrall" ate, is what their blood tasted like to the vampires. That was a pretty cool idea. Also, the three different vampire "Houses" with different powers was intriguing. I thought the plot was interesting but there was just something missing. I can't quite place my finger on it, but I felt that I could have really enjoyed the story a lot more. Maybe it was just the delivery...but it was still a decent read.

Exsanguinate: World of Blood by Killion Slade was a story that had me hoping for gore and terror.  Something that would keep me up at night…have me questioning the different bumps and thumps in the middle of the night.

And although the story did start off promising (a great intro to the characters and a lead up to the dreaded haunted house), at the midway point, the story went off on a totally different tangent.  One from horror to completely supernatural.  Not that that’s a bad thing.

The way in which the story completely turned around into a whole different kind of story was done in a very interesting way.

Let’s start from the beginning.  Some of you may (or may not) know this about me, but once upon a time (like 2 years ago) I was a hardcore gamer.  I’m talking about games like World of Warcraft where I spent many a night questing and raiding with my “guild”.  Truth be told, I did make a few friends that I loved to pieces, and miss to this very day.  But even before the time of WoW, I was completely immersed in the world of Second Life (SL).

For those of you who are not aware of what that is, it’s basically a virtual reality world where you have a “second life”!  Seriously.  New family, new kids, you could be a girl or a boy or a furry!  And people could make some really good coin, depending on their computer skills.

So why am I mentioning this?  Well, the main characters are all connected through ExsanguiNation, the “SL” virtual reality in this book.  And it’s through this “game” that the characters start to form a bond; specifically Cheyenne and Roxas.  Dating virtually now for almost 2 years, the time had finally come where they would meet IRL.  And what better way than at Global Studios for the annual fright fest.  (Sounds like a solid date to me).

But when Chey goes into the haunted house to conquer her fear, something goes terribly wrong, and her nightmare becomes a reality…literally.  And it’s after this horrific night where everything that Chey and her sisters knew about reality totally shifts.  The world of the supernatural is introduced to them in a rather harsh way.

Now Chey (and her moxy crew of supers) has to find a way to rescue her sisters from seriously cray vamps and out of a severely demented situation.

As I had mentioned earlier, I had some really high hopes for this read.  There was just something missing for me!  I didn’t feel that terror in my bones.  I could feel the build-up.  I was itching and ready to get into the haunted house and witness the terror.  But the absolute terror I was hoping for didn’t come.  I was just kinda left hanging.

I was hoping that perhaps I was hoping for the horror to happen too early in the read, and perhaps it would happen later…but instead of horror, I got a “WTF is going on I can’t turn my head away” type of read.  It got a whole lotta messed up, and because of that, the read kept my attention.

What irked me while reading this book was the language.  One of my pet peeves is swearing.  Not the fact that characters are swearing, but that they don’t!  They instead make up these silly made up words that we know are supposed to be their version of swearing…but really…just swear.

Another thing that bothers me is when the characters switch from speaking “proper” to normal.  Why does that happen?  I don’t understand, and it messes with my head because when I see a character speaking “proper”, they automatically have an English accent to me.  So to have them switch from “proper” to normal speak…I get confuzzled.

Other than that, the characters in Exsanguinate by Killion Slade are pretty solid and I was totally loving the kick ass female characters found within the pages.  The storyline was good, and one that will keep a reader’s attention.

I would recommend this book to fans of Supernatural reads.

[At Grave's End + Night Huntress #3 + Jeaniene Frost + Read Mar 2014 + 4★]

 

[Book Description]

 

It should be the best time of half-vampire Cat Crawfield's life. With her undead lover Bones at her side, she's successfully protected mortals from the rogue undead. But though Cat's worn disguise after disguise to keep her true identity a secret from the brazen bloodsuckers, her cover's finally been blown, placing her in terrible danger.

As if that wasn't enough, a woman from Bones's past is determined to bury him once and for all. Caught in the crosshairs of a vengeful vamp, yet determined to help Bones stop a lethal magic from being unleashed, Cat's about to learn the true meaning of bad blood. And the tricks she's learned as a special agent won't help her. She will need to fully embrace her vampire instincts in order to save herself—and Bones—from a fate worse than the grave.

 

[My Thoughts & Favorite Quotes]

SPOILERS!

 

TRUST & BETRAYAL + MAGIC + ALLIANCES & ENEMIES

 

“We are not helpless.” Bones’s voice was never more controlled. If I didn’t know better, I’d say it was chipper. “Many times in our lives we’ve been powerless, but not this night. Right now we have the power to choose the manner in which we die. If you have been a master of nothing else in all your days, you are now a master of this moment. And I for one am going to give such an answer to this insult that others will dearly regret not being by my side to see it!”

 

✳ This is the third book in the Night Huntress series and although the reading was not as exciting as the other ones, still kept my attention until the end of the story.
✳ Since Cat and Bones got back together in One Foot in the Grave their relationship is getting stronger despite all the dangerous and complicated situations.

 

“Want to know one of the things I’ve loved most about you?” […] “That you never lorded your age over me. Yeah, there’s nothing I’ve seen or done that isn’t old news to you, but you’d always treated me like an equal. Well, now you’re treating me like the pathetic little girl Max accused me of being. You want to have your nasty event without me? Fine. But whatever I would have seen later wouldn’t have come between us as much as what you just pulled did.”

 

✳ I cried along with Cat when she thought Bones was dead (I knew is wasn't true, but still...). And what about that box? And the letter? *I need to know!*

(spoiler show)

 

“I’ll be back before you know it.”

 

✳ In this book the author gives emphasis on the secondary characters - they all have important roles. I loved Vlad and his sense of humor. I can't wait to read Night Prince - spin-off from the Night Huntress series featuring Vlad as the hero and a new character named Leila as the heroine.

 

✳ But back to At Grave's End, the thing (or better yet, the someone) that annoyed me the most - Tate. To be honest, I'd never liked him and he needs to move on! I wasn't even surprised when Bones thought he was the traitor.

 

“That was a warning. The next one won’t be. Did you think you could just slide into Bones’s place and I wouldn't miss a beat? You lay your hands on me again and I’ll finish you, Tate.”

 

✳ And what I loved the most in this book - the magic. Mencheres, the most powerful one + Bones and his new abilities + Vlad and the fire control + the mind reading + zombies!

[One Foot in the Grave + Night Huntress #2 + Jeaniene Frost + Read Feb 2014 + 5★]

 

[Book Description]

 

You can run from the grave, but you can't hide . . .

Half-vampire Cat Crawfield is now Special Agent Cat Crawfield, working for the government to rid the world of the rogue undead. She's still using everything Bones, her sexy and dangerous ex, taught her, but when Cat is targeted for assassination, the only man who can help her is the vampire she left behind.

Being around him awakens all her emotions, from the adrenaline kick of slaying vamps side by side to the reckless passion that consumed them. But a price on her head—wanted: dead or half-alive—means her survival depends on teaming up with Bones. And no matter how hard she tries to keep things professional between them, she'll find that desire lasts forever . . . and that Bones won't let her get away again.

 

[My Thoughts & Favorite Quotes]

 

"Once you go dead, no one's better in bed."

 

✳ This book is even better than the first one and now Jeaniene Frost is one of my favorite authors!
✳ One Foot in the Grave begins four years (a long time to be without Bones!) after Halfway to the Grave. In this second book Cat is more mature but still the same kick-ass vampire hunter that I liked so much. And Bones *sigh* is even more sexy - if that's possible. It's so good how he never underestimates his Kitten and they have a balanced relationship.
✳ All the things I loved in the previous book are even better - action from start to finish + awesome fight scenes + sarcastic humor + hot romance + surprising plot twists. It's impossible not to become addicted to this series!

"You know what your problem is, Justina? You're in desperate need of a good shag."

✳ Jealous Cat is my favorite. She's so funny! First Francesca, now we have Annette and the catfight scene. Go Kitten!
✳ Oh, the famous Chapter 32! Wow! It’s one of the hottest scenes I’ve ever read. Marry me, Bones!

 

“I’ll never look at your fangs the same way after last night. A part of me wants to apologize for holding you back before, and the other part wants you to apologize to me because you knew better!”
He laughed again. "I still have more to show you, trust me..."